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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22902472">When You Can't Even Hide It</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/robogalaxy/pseuds/robogalaxy'>robogalaxy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword &amp; Shield | Pokemon Sword &amp; Shield Versions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Gift Fic, Hand Kisses, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Short One Shot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:01:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>904</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22902472</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/robogalaxy/pseuds/robogalaxy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It was abrupt, Gloria's statement.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hop/Yuuri | Gloria</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>When You Can't Even Hide It</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/zacian/gifts">zacian</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i never shared my tumblr here, huh? i'm @0leanarose! i post a lot of doodles n other silly pokemon stuff there :') come follow!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"We're not just friends, and you know it." </p><p>It was abrupt, Gloria's statement. She sat on the old stump of the berry tree in her mother's backyard with Hop lying down in the grass beside her. It was getting late in Postwick and Gloria knew Hop's mother liked him home before nine o'clock hit. Last time she had checked her phone, it was 8:45 and Hop hadn't shot up from his comfort to look at her with wide, confused eyes.</p><p>“<em> Huh </em>? Gloria? What was that?" His voice shook with each and every word while their Pokèmon rustled from their sleep to peek one eye open at the oncoming moment.</p><p>"I mean...really, Hop, we can't beat around the bush anymore," Gloria explained. She scooted over and tapped beside her, inviting Hop to sit next to her. He looked at the seat and hesitated for a bit while he nervously wiped his clammy hands on his jeans. If she were to try to hold his hand (and really, that sounded way too far-fetched even for this conversation!), he wouldn't want her to be made uncomfortable by her best friend.</p><p>"It's becoming super obvious to both of us, Hop," she continued, "how the Cup kinda led us down this weird, confusing...Slumbering Weald like path to whatever you wanna call it." Her clumsy explanation eased Hop a smidge - blunt as she was, Gloria's mind sometimes lost its footing and she tripped over the words it laid out for her. Knowing she felt awkward about this "whatever he wanted to call it" as well, his heart raced a bit slower. It was still sprinting, no doubt, but it didn't feel like Rillaboom was Drum Beating inside his chest anymore. Gloria's face reddened as she continued tapping the stump. Hop complied and sat next to her in silence as they gazed up at the setting sun and looked at silhouetted Butterfrees over the horizon. </p><p>"It's that obvious, is it now," Hop laughed, "we aren't just friends anymore."</p><p>"This bout of battling and all the fun surprises it held made me think about you," she began with a softer tone, "a lot. And not in the way a rival should think about battle strategy, no...like, like a real concern." </p><p>"Concern? I'm fine as is, Gloria! What happened is what happened-"</p><p>"I worried for your self-confidence, mate. Not that easy to let go of in your mind, really," Gloria interrupted. She turned to look Hop in his face in an attempt to regain her blunt way of speaking, but there was that soft glow of his eyes again. They were only made warmer in the midst of the sunset, and she muttered a curse under her breath. </p><p>"Whoa, language!" Hop warned. He cautioned her with the same anxiety he felt coursing through his blood while he awaited the rest of her side of the conversation. She ignored his attempt at humoring the moment, knowing she had to let the feelings out of her as soon as possible.</p><p>"Watching you grow throughout the whole thing was marvelous, truly, but you did hit some low spots. As your rival, I worried, and as your best pal? I worried like hell! It made me realize that...wow, this is getting a tad corny, isn't it?" Gloria interrupted herself, scratching at the back of her head nervously while Hop only watched on in a gentle sense of awe. He liked her, he had always <em> liked liked </em> her, and he noticed hints that she felt the same, but to hear it all out loud and in Gloria's words specifically? Hop was almost in a trance. It was real, it was happening, <em> they weren't just friends anymore </em>. Feeling his head soar up to the clouds, Hop snapped himself out of his dreaming by doing what always seemed to help him when focus evaded him. Hitting his face with his hands, a laugh escaped from Gloria. </p><p>"I'm sorry, really! It's just... cute when you do that," she explained, "you're getting yourself prepared for something and you've always done it. I dunno, it's sweet." A hand covered her mouth to hide her widening smile while the other slipped over to lay on top of Hop's. Gloria hoped it was subtle and that Hop wouldn't freak out too much about it, and her hopes were shattered in the best of ways when Hop turned again to look at her.</p><p> "Well, I...thank you, Gloria," he said, his free hand fiddling with the fur on his jacket collar while the one under Gloria's seemed to move on its own. It cupped Gloria's hand and moved it to his mouth, where he held it for a moment before he shakily realized what he had done. Gloria sat in silence as she allowed Hop to intertwine his fingers with hers and observed how they both try to hide nervous smiles with coughs. More silence followed before Hop inhaled, used the free hand to pat his face for luck, and leaned his head down to place a quick kiss on Gloria's hand. He lowered his voice after doing so and spoke again, "I mean it. Thank you." </p><p>"...You're welcome," Gloria stuttered with her head hanging low and her free hand twisting her hair to release the sudden burst of giddiness overwhelming her mind, a blush across her face redder than the quickly setting sun casting shadows over their sleepy little town.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>poppy... i love you !! thank you for gettin me to love the cheesy teen hets!! here you are!! 🥺♥️</p><p>and to everyone else, thank you SO much for reading! feel free to leave kudos, comments, and bookmarks~ &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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